Cobalt, Carbon and their third brother Krypton were rescued in Georgia and brought up to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem. The three puppies from the same litter were born without bones in their wrists.

“When they run, they are actually running on their elbows,” Laurie McCannon said. “They are actually causing damage to other bones in their legs.”

The Salem shelter has never seen a defect like the ones in these three brothers. Joyce Shaughnessy has been fostering Cobalt and says it is very debilitating. “He can’t go for walks. He can’t do all the regular things that my dogs at home can do,” Shaughnessy said.

Each puppy needs two surgeries on each paw. Cobalt and Carbon will be getting their first orthopedic procedure Thursday. “We need the public’s help to save these guys and give them a normal life,” McCannon said.

The shelter has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise the $20,000 needed to give these three puppies a second chance.

Even though the defect is rare, the success rate for the surgery is 95 percent.